Wednesday, September 16, 1998 Published at 10:49 GMT 11:49 UKEntertainmentPulp answer backJarvis: Would like to visit the ladies changing roomsPulp are busy living it up, climbing the charts with their new single Party Hard. The song, only the fourth to be released from their album This is Hardcore, went straight in at number 29 last week.

But Jarvis and the rest of the band members managed to take some time out to answer the questions you e-mailed us.

Q: What will you be doing on New Year's Eve 1999?
(Ronan Duffy, Scotland)

A: New Year's Eve '99 is going to be a difficult one. It will either be a big anticlimax or the biggest party ever.

I hope it will be the latter. I suppose organisation is the key. Edinburgh would be good; avoid Trafalgar Square; maybe the Pyramids or New York.

I do like the idea of going to a South Sea island for one party and then crossing the international dateline and doing it all again, if the hangover could stand it.

If you were a woman for a day, what three things would you do?
(Cookie Chakrabarti, India)

If I was a woman for a day I would change my mind constantly, suddenly burst into tears, or blinding rage, over some imagined romantic slight (this would occur every 10 minutes). Visit the changing rooms.

Recently you co-wrote a cartoon strip in which you appeared, plagued by the attentions of a tabloid photographer. Don't you think to be a pop star you must sacrifice privacy in the name of success?
(Robert Freeport, USA)

Everyone is entitled to privacy. Anyway, just because you've sold a few records why does everyone want to know the contents of your bins or where you go for pizza?

How do Pulp reconcile hedonism with ambition?
(Joanne Brown, London)

Pulp's ambition is to achieve hedonism.

Your are a highly versatile writer and your lyrics consistently break the conventions of everyday pop writing. Which working songwriters do you admire or respect?
(Phillipe Harri, France)

Pulp admire many different songwriters. I can only vouch for Scott Walker, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Lennon and McCartney, Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, Jagger and Richards, Mr Bowie, Ian Brown and John Squire, Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Oh, and Queen.

You once said something about not wanting to be old and doddering about on stage? How many more albums can we expect before you get jobs in Basingstoke? Will your songs just get more complex and gentle? Less loud, more lounge.
(Alison Jones, UK)

No-one really knows how long Pulp will exist. I suppose it will be until Pulp no longer feel they have anything to offer. One thing is for sure - none of us would be seen dead in Basingstoke.

Pulp's music is getting more mature. Like an old cheese it gets a bit smellier.

Have you lost a friend in the name of fame?
(Ekaterina Koteva, Bulgaria)

No, I have only made friends in this business, although I have come across a few who I would never wish to be friends with.

Around the time of Common People, I couldn't go anywhere without people calling me Jarvis (I'm female, by the way!!!). Who did you look like before you got famous?
(Sally, UK)

Commiserations if you look like Jarvis, you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy.

You were in Canada earlier this year. We, Canadians have a love/hate relationship with the USA , largely because the rest of the world tends to put us in the same bag. Do you have an opinion on Canada?
(Joseph Cartwright, Canada)

We love Canada. It's so much more chilled than the US (literally). The only drawback is Canadian Customs which is always a major drag. Nice black squirrels too.

Does your music originate from jamming, or does one or more of you come into writing sessions with chords and arrangements that are worked out by the rest of the band?
(Andisheh Nouraee, Atlanta, Georgia USA)

Writing is jamming a lot of the time, but sometimes Jarv may come in with a couple of chords or so and we use those as starting points.

A new piece of equipment can often promote a healthy bit of creativity.

Do you ever get bored of being a media puppet?
(Eamonn, London)

Pulp has to play along with the media from time to time and this can get a bit boring but we wouldn't consider ourselves puppets.

Is there a typical Pulp fan? I mean, do you generally see fans of a certain age or sex? I ask because whenever I've been to a Pulp gig I seem to be the youngest (16), and there are a lot of studenty type girlies wearing Jarvis-style specs.
(Sarah Wall, Wickford, Essex)

I think many Pulp fans are interested in your earlier Fire material, and believe that there are some of those songs that could be introduced to the modern Pulp audience. Have you thought about taking a selection of old songs on tour with you?
(Adam McGechan and Sandra Bull, Auckland, New Zealand)

I think that a lot of the "Fire" era stuff is brilliant, but inflicting its deep moroseness on impressionable young people could be dangerous. Anyway, we would rather play new songs to our audiences.

Also we would not want to encourage people to go out and spend their hard-earned cash on Pulp stuff and all the profits going to "Fire" records.

You freely admitted to watching a lot of pornography during your last tour? Would you like to see more celebrities owning up to their sexual peccadilloes?
Pazit Levitan, Israel

I'm not sure if you want to see anyone's sexual peccadilloes thank you very much.